


Tension

by carmen_sandyeggo



Series: Just You & I [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff, M/M, Mild Language, Slow Burn, i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-06-30 07:11:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15746844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carmen_sandyeggo/pseuds/carmen_sandyeggo
Summary: There was something new brewing in the air between the pilots. Entirely different from the last time they had been around each other.





	Tension

**Author's Note:**

> May be a bit ooc but whatever, it's all for fun anyway.

The moment their eyes met in the ruble of what used to be downtown, Keith instantly recognized who he was. Officer James Griffin, Garrison Cadet, pilot, Fighter Class. He’d...changed. In more ways than one. He was taller, voice was deeper-- commanding. On their way back to the base, Keith felt a little awkward when sitting up front with James behind the wheel. The air between them felt heavy, wary, and sensed the they both were doing everything to not remotely look their way. Even when they had arrived and Keith dismounted from the vehicle, Keith caught James looking, taking off his helmet even to reveal his entire face. The stare held strong, gazing almost. And that's when Keith had felt something.

There had been tension between them from the moment they had met. Back in grade school, Keith had been transferred to the area where he lived in the group home. He arrived to his class and James was the first to try to introduce himself. He was loud and too confident. Not cocky but, just so sure of himself-- like he knew he was going to know the new kid. But it didn't work. Keith kept to himself. And he supposes, now realizing years later, he came off standoffish in James opinion. Because of that, Keith was quickly ostracized from the class. Fine by him. He liked to be alone anyway. He didn't need anyone. But it definitely caused him more trouble. Since he was the outcast, Keith got blamed for literally everything. Stealing, making a mess, starting a fight-- anything bad that happened, Keith took the heat. Not that he wanted to or minded, it was just there was no way for him to win against any battle that came his way. Not even the teachers tried to reason and talk to him to see why he had been 'acting up’.

James Griffin had been the bane of Keith's existence when they both got accepted into the recruit program at the Garrison. Upon their arrival with six other kids from different areas, Griffin was the first to slander Keith. The kids didn't even _know_ Keith, or James for that fact, and had decided on their own to believe the lies Griffin had told them. Keith didn't care for Griffin, but he certainly did not like him. It was always a competition between them; who was the best pilot? Everything came easily to Keith. James? It took him a few tries to perfect the newly learned skill. And when he did get the hang of it, it was comparable to Keith's as far as proficiency. Everyone else in their class had remedial training to get a satisfactory on their scoring.

So that day Keith punched James and wrestled him on the simulator flight deck, it was the final straw for Keith. James had _no idea_ what he had been through, and yet here he was mouthing off to him because Keith made a bold statement about being a superior pilot among everyone else in the entire _base._ Shiro had vouched and covered for him of course. He was the reason why Keith was even here. Griffin got off easy, seeing as he was a victim of violence. Keith however, got put on academic probation and extra duty for 30 days for his actions.

But that day Keith received the news about Shiro and the Kerberos mission-- his entire world turned black. He couldn't move. He couldn't think. His mentor, who had been like a brother to him after all this time, was declared _dead_. He wasn't given any information due to the sensitivity and nature of the mission to begin with. Iverson had told Keith he didn't have the clearance to have the need to know. And like Cadet Holt’s sister, Katie, Keith too had questions-- the answers given weren't adding up. And when Iverson blew him off again, that's when Keith lost it. He blew up on the instructor. Keith attacked him viciously; enough to cause permanent damage to his left eye. Which was enough to get him discharged and expelled.

Packing up his bags, the only person who came to say bye was Griffin. Only for him to rub his expulsion in his face. But Keith didn't care. He never wanted to be there in the first place. He didn't care for literally anyone else except one person; and he was dead. Because Shiro was lost to the Garrison, no one gave a rat's ass about Keith. They simply waited for the right moment when Keith _would_ , inevitably, fuck up and get booted. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, Keith stiffs Griffin out of the way. James of course grunts from the impact, but he's not surprised the other had done such a thing. As he was walking out, Griffin had said something. But the ringing if anger in Keith's ears deafened what he shouted on the opposite end of the hall of the barracks.

 

Four years had passed.

 

Fours years had gone by and here Keith was-- back on Earth. At the _Garrison._ Reinstated as Officer Keith Kogane. Pilot. Fighter Class. Voltron Paladin. Yeah, they had given him a sub-identifying descriptor to his skillset. And it felt damn good. Felt even better seeing the look on Griffin's face when told he was to listen under Keith's instructions, being the Black paladin-- the _head_ of Voltron-- and all. But there was some maturity to Griffin's acceptance of his new team leader, which was something Keith had not expected. But then again, he had grown and matured too in many ways. He wasn't the same short fuse of bomb that exploded any time someone looked his way. For fucks sake, he apologized to Iverson for his past actions. Keith _hated_ Iverson back in the day. And now, they had made amends, working alongside one another. Iverson said he was _honored_ to have him back after learning everything he had done and contributed in deep space. And seeing this same reaction with Griffin, Keith saw what he thought was admiration. Which was...weird.

Then this same douchebag extended his help? Not once, but _twice_? The same guy, who would immediately volunteer to drive or partner up with him? No. None of that could be right. Who is this guy, and where was the real James Griffin? Something was _up_ and Keith was going to get to the bottom of it. But how?

It was like the universe had sensed Keith's confusion and promptly served an opportunity to him on a silver platter. Keith was going over diagnostics with Pidge when James had come up to them. Only, he had acknowledged Keith. “Hey Kogane,” he said. He pushed his hair back and out of his face, “what you two up to?”

“Pidge is running diagnostics on the black lion to see if her upgrades are compatible with the Altean Earth fused tech she and her dad are building.” Keith explained. Pidge was still configuring the program on her laptop, too preoccupied to notice anything of the conversation.

“Oh. Cool.” Griffin says. Keith pays attention as James watches Pidge at work. James steals a quick glance at Keith and sees he's already staring. When he's caught looking, James clears his throat. “So uh, have you been able to check out our new jets? They're way better than the stuff we used to fly when you were here.”

Was Griffin making small talk? Whatever, he'll play along. “No,” Keith replies. He crosses his arms, “they probably fly about the same as the Lions.” Keith shrugs, “have no reason to check them out.” Keith notices the slowing of Pidge’s typing, as if she were now listening in on the conversation.

“Oh. R-right. Um, well I figured you might find them to be a huge upgrade from the older birds we had in the past.” James says, not expecting to be shot down with such a blunt answer.

“Well, yeah sure they are.” Keith agreed. “But I dunno, I guess I'm a bit biased. Being a Paladin.”

“Yeah that makes sense.” James says with a smile. He holds the back of his neck, almost looking desperate to keep the conversation going. “It's so crazy though-- that such a thing exists.” He says turning his torso to look back at the black lion. “Hey. You think I'd be asking too much to take a tour? If you don't mind that is.”

Before Keith answers, Pidge looks up from her screen and fixes her glasses, “Yeah Keith. Give Griffin a tour while I test this.” She says with a knowing grin. With that, there was no escaping or declining James request. Damn her.

“Sure.” Keith answers James, glaring at Pidge.

James follows Keith, catching up to him to walk by his side. As they approach the lion, Griffin looks up in awe of the it’s strong presence. The lion was a fighter craft in itself with her size alone. And to think Keith piloted such a literal beast. Understanding the small bit of how his fellow classmates got to fly these things, James was very surprised in learning Keith had piloted the temperamental and stubborn red lion _and_ the leading black lion. There was some respect to acknowledge and give to the delinquent.

Inside however, James was blown away at the design. “Whoa,” he gasped. He ran his fingers over the dash and control sticks, loving the sleek minimal design. He saw Keith pull up a few panels, scrolling through and touching selections in a scribbled language that clearly wasn't English. “Is that Altean?” James asks.

“Yeah.” Is all he says, focused to run this so called test Pidelge wanted him to test for her.

James walks up behind Keith to take a closer look over his shoulder. “That's crazy. You learned how to read all this is four years?”

“Technically less than a year but, yeah. It's easy to learn.”

“Pfft, yeah right. Some of the shit that Princess says sounds complicated as hell. I don't even know what she's talking about when her and Sam get to talking about mechanical parts.

Keith chuckles at this. It would be bizarre and difficult to try to comprehend anything Altean. But Keith supposed he and his fellow Paladins were just quick learners. “Did Sam configure Altean scribe to English for you guys?”

James hummed in confirmation, “He tried to teach us and we couldn't get the hang of it. Except Leifsdottir, she's a whiz.” Griffin just watched as Keith went through the menus effortlessly.

Keith growls, growing frustrated, “Pidge! Nothing is happening!” He yells into what James assumes is a voice activated intercom.

“Yeah I ran Into a _snag_. Gimme a few minutes.” God _damn_ her, Keith thought. He shook his head and flexed his jaw his frustration. James just sniggers in amusement and explores the rest of the space.

Seeing this up close and in person continued to leave the MFE pilot in shock. He couldn't even deny being impressed. “You know,” James calls out, “kinda glad you’re doing well for yourself...thought you’d end up in jail. Or dead.”

Keith looks over his shoulder to look at the other, squinting in offense. “Did you just give me a backhanded compliment?” Griffin just shrugs, knowing he must’ve hit a nerve. Okay, so maybe _some_ things didn’t change with the little prick. He turns back around to the monitor to see if Pidge fixed that so called ‘snag’ yet..

“I wonder how the MFE flies compared to your lion.” Griffin says aloud.

“Well, considering all the lions fly a little differently according to their skill sets, I’m sure it wouldn’t make too much of a difference in flying next to something similar.” Keith says tiredly. “Pidge, where’s that test?” He shouts, annoyed now that he’s been forced into the same space with his true rival. When she doesn’t answer, Keith looks down through the overview and sees she had abandoned her post. “God fucking damn it...” Keith sighs tiredly, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Wanna find out? Have ourselves a little race?” James suggests with that cocky grin of his. “Like old times?”

Keith rolls his eyes, “I’ll pass.”

“Oh come on! Why not? It’ll be fun.” James insists, nearly pouting.

The black paladin sighs, and turns to the fighter pilot, “Griffin. No. Alright?” He turns back to dismiss the menus. “Besides...I don’t wanna hear you crying about me beating you and talking trash about how I somehow cheated.” He says with his own cocky smile. This seems to bring Griffin’s attention.

“Oh yeah? Yeah well don’t write a check your butt can’t cash Kogane.” James says. “So, what, you wanna take her out now?”

“Dunno. Think you can handle the pressure?” Keith clips back. Before James can answer, Pidge comes on the intercom for Keith to run that test. “Fucking finally.” Keith sighs. He runs the program and the lion responds to the upgrade. “It worked. Are we done here?” He asks her.

“Yupp. Now you and what’s his face can do whatever you want.” She says. Keith wants to yell at her but he can see she’s cut her communication off with him.

 

 

Up to this point, Keith has noticed Griffin coming around more and more. Whenever they spot each other, it’s like Griffin senses Keith’s presence and looks up to find him. And when he does, he entire face lights up, excuses himself for a moment with whoever he’s with and walks over to Keith to say hi. Not to mention, it didn’t matter if Keith was by himself or who he was with, James would go up to him and only acknowledge him, as if the others were nonexistent.

Which was, _weird,_ right? Was anyone else noticing this? Or was it all in his head? It was hard to ignore. And almost out of habit or instinct, or something, whenever Keith saw James he’d give a nonchalant wave, nod of the head, or say hi. Which by then caught the other’s attention.

“Okay, what’s up with you and fly boy over there?” Pidge confronted Keith one day. Earlier that same morning, they were all in the mess hall eating breakfast when James walked in with his team mates. As soon as he had spotted Keith sitting with Pidge and Allura, he left his team to go sit with them. And the entire time, he really only spoke to Keith-- who didn’t really talk much in the mornings to begin with. Both Pidge and Allura exchanged confused looks as to why this kid was all of a sudden inserting himself when Keith was around. Not that he wasn’t welcome, it was just that he never talked to anyone else for friendly conversation unless absolutely necessary for mission related tasks.

“Whaddyou m--”

“Ooohhh no! Don’t gimme that ‘i-dunno-what-you’re-talking-about’ bull. You two been acting really weird ever since we got back to Earth. More so him than anything but you’ve been allowing it.” She said in a single breath. She had her hands on her hips and gave an expectant look for explanation. Which Keith froze under.

“I-- I dunno what to say Pidge. No, really! I’ve been trying to figure it out myself.” Keith explains. When saying this, Pidge gives quirks her head in confusion.

“Whaddyou mean you’ve been trying to figure it out?” She asks. When Keith shrugs, she cuts him off, “Wait, wait, wait...you mean you don’t already know?”

“Know _what?_ ” Keith exasperates. With Keith wide eyed and clueless, Pidge starts to laugh. It starts off into a giggle, then grows louder and wild. “ _What_ is so funny, Pidge?” When she continues to laugh with tears in her eyes, he swears at her to tell him.

“Ahhh, wait wait--- nope! Ahehehehahahah!” She cackles, taking off her glasses to wipes her eyes. “Ahhh, ahhh okay okay. Pfffftt...Oh man. That’s a knee slapper.” She takes a few deep breaths and wipes her glasses with her shirt. “Okay. Alright.” She clears her throat and looks right at Keith, “Keith. This may come as a shock to you, but me and the other Paladins have noticed this behavior. From James, from you, and when you’re both together in general. And, I‘m honored to enlighten you that, James Griffin, has an attraction to you.”

Keith blinks, digesting this information. After a minute of silence, he’s still not sure of what his teammate just said. “What?”

“He _likes_ you, Keith! Wake up and smell the nunville! He has a _crush_ on you. He’s been _flirting_ with you! How are you so blind to not see that?”

Again, Keith blinks and stutters over his words to offer a counter argument to her statement. “I thought he was just-- being friendly. Ya know...to make amends over the shit he did in the past?”

“Yeah, uh-huh, sure. He may want you accept his apology with a kiss on the lips.” Pidge teases him. Keith growls at her and she giggles. “Look, if you’re that determined to prove me and everyone else wrong, just go ask him yourself.” She says. She claps him on the shoulder and wishes him good luck, leaving Keith in a confused state.

Griffin _liked_ him? Like, _like-liked_ him? But-- but _why?_ What was the reason? Keith couldn't think of any reason why James, or anyone for that matter, would have that sort of interest in him. He was moody, sassy, and not good with words. Terrible, in fact. But the _real_ question was how Keith felt about that.

Well, confused for all the reasons above for one. But aside from all of that, with this new information brought to light, what was Keith going to do with it? Laying and weighing it all out, Keith analyzed each piece. He had in fact noticed the pilot’s out of character behavior. He didn't dislike it per se. It was rather... pleasing? to see James not be a total giant douche like he had remembered him last. He supposed it was also nice how Griffin was making an effort to work together and get along for the most part.

Then there was the so called flirting. Keith tried to think back and see if there was any obvious flirting. What did that...look like, exactly? Maybe the compliments in training? Or the way he laughed at his dry jokes? Hell, Keith had no idea. But what was the reason! Oh this was gonna drive him insane until he confronted Griffin. Even _thinking_ about the confrontation gave Keith a headache. Because, words. Words were hard. And talking! Socializing! Conversing!

But wait-- why was this so hard for Keith when it came to the fellow pilot? He had an easier time talking to Shiro, Hunk, and Lance. Why not James? Should be no different. Right? All Keith had to figure out was _when_ he should talk to Griffin. Alone in private, obviously. Then suddenly, an idea popped into his head. With it, he takes off to find the person he's relied on the most.

It didn't take long to find Shiro. He was in the training hall, enhancing his capabilities with his new prosthetic with Allura. “Hey, Shiro? I hate to interrupt but, can I talk to you? It's...kind of an emergency.” It wasn't. But he needed to silence the loud noises in his head that was confusion.

“Yeah! Yeah sure, of course. I'll be right back Princess.” Shiro said to her. Allura quirked a brow, wondering if all was well considering Keith seemed in distress. Out in the hall, Shiro follows Keith down the corridor. They're walking so fast, Shiro begins to really worry. “Keith? Keith, slow down.” He says. He reaches out for the young Paladin to stop and face him, “What's the matter?”

“I don't know what to do.” Keith says in a mild panic.

With that tone, Shiro needs to know what's got him so shaken up. “With what? What's going on?”

“It's-- it's really dumb.”

“Keith, I'm sure whatever it is, it's not dumb. Now tell me what's going on.”

“Someone likes me and I don't know how to deal with the situation.” Keith blurts out.

Shiro blinks, his brain nearly short circuiting from the build of panic and low blow delivery of something such as this. “What?”

“Pidge said that Griffin likes me and I had no idea and now I don't know what to do about it.”

Shiro squints, “The MFE pilot?” He clarifies, to which Keith nods. “Um, okay. Well, if he does, how do you feel about it?”

“Why the hell would anyone like me Shiro?”

“Who _wouldn't_ like you Keith?” Shiro counters. Keith wants to argue but Shiro stops him. “Okay, okay look-- let's sit down.” They walk to a nearby bench in the hall and take their seats. “Look-- you're an amazing kid Keith. You're a very skilled pilot, you're quick on your feet, and you may not think it but, you care a lot about others. You have a really good heart. You have some temperamental quirks but you've worked on them during our time out in space. You've matured a lot, Keith. Now, I don't know why or if Officer Griffin does find you attractive in that light but, what's so wrong with that?”

Keith can't come up with a reason right away. He honestly wants to just play himself down by several notches and say there's nothing special about him. But he doesn't.

“Keith, you may want to see how _you_ may feel about your feelings towards him. Do you see him as a friend? A colleague? _More_ than that? You're not obligated to reciprocate his feelings just because he may have a crush on you. To be honest, recognizing someone’s feelings _after_ it being brought to your attention is kinda, well-- mean. It's like you never paid them any mind until they have interest in you and just go along with it because they're there. You may want to reconsider your feelings. That is, if you want discuss it with him to see if it's true.”

Keith is very quiet. Shiro was right. Keith can't just go jumping into the flames without knowing how he felt. He didn't want to force himself on James either for his own sake. Maybe Keith should invest his own time getting to know Griffin; test the waters for himself rather than by hearsay. With a clearer mind, Keith takes a deep breath. “Thanks Shiro,” he says with a smile. “I feel a lot better now. Sorry to make such a big deal out of it.”

“Hey no worries. I take it this is the first time you read had this kind of situation happen to you?”

“ _Obviously._ ” Keith replies. “Never really paid attention to this sort of thing. Kinda always been focused on the situation at hand, ya know?” Keith could now navigate and lead the Paladins in battle. He could take out an entire squad of drones by himself. But-- boys? Romance? He didn't have a clue what to do in this situation. He wasn't even sure what his deal was. Sure, he thought a couple of the guys in his class were cute but, he always left it at that. Never thought about them, no feelings of likeness, therefore he never acted on his own attractions, chopping them up to be too small to even move forward with.

With a rather large weight lifted off his shoulders, Keith can go about his regular business. He kept in mind that if he wanted to find out the truth, while seeking out his _own_ feelings, he needed to continue acting like himself. Of course it would prove to be a little difficult to do since he was no longer oblivious, but he would be his regular old self. It's what Griffin seems to like about him after all.

 

It's at dinner that Keith sees Griffin sitting with his teammates, chatting and laughing it up as they ate. Keith stands there with his tray in hand and wonders if it would be weird for him to, out of nowhere, go up and join them. His mind and heart argue as to what he should do. But an anxious decision decides for him. He walks towards and past Griffin and sits alone. He had seen him and smiled, thinking Keith was going to say hi. But when he passed him, his smile faltered into a confused frown. He even looked over his shoulder at Keith to see where was headed. Keith mentally kicks himself for being a coward. _Ugh, why am I like this? It's just dinner with fellow cadets. It's not a big deal_. He presses his fingers into his eyes. He tells himself if he really wanted to do this, he would have to make some choices that may be out of his comfort zone. It was all for his own good.

He jumps when a sudden loud clatter hits the table. He looks to see Lance, smiling at the fact he had scared Keith. “Hey Lance.” Keith grumbles, looking down at his tray again to push his vegetables around with his fork.

“What’re you thinking so hard about over there, hm?” Lance teases, joining his friend. “You freaking out about Griffin?” Keith snaps his head up with wide eyes and a look of sheer panic on his face.

“ _Will you shut up?_ ” Keith hissed. “ _He’s right there you idiot!_ ” Keith looks over his shoulder to see if Griffin had overheard them. Luckily, he hadn’t. Turning back to Lance he chucks a pea at him. “And how did you know?”

“Heh, dude, _eeeeeveryone_ knows.” Lance laughs, shaking salt on to his food. “Plus, Pidge told me.” He adds. Putting the salt down, Lance stirs it in, “So? What’s your move mullet?”

“I dunnnnooooo.” Keith groans. He wasn’t sure if he should be talking to Lance about this, of all people.

“Well, if i were you, and I have been, I’d just talk to him. Ya know, set things straight-- er, clarify.” Taking a large bite of his food, he chews quickly and swallows. “Don’t be like me. Took me _for-ev-er_ to tell Allura how I felt. Didn’t work out but I feel a lot better about it rather than wondering about ‘what if’. Not saying _Griffin_ is the one but-- who knows.”

“Why’re you telling me all of this?” Keith asks.

“Because you’re my friend you dorkless wonder. Plus it’s painful to watch you like- this.”

“Like what?”

“Stressing out. Over someone who’s out of your league. Not that-- n-n-not that he’s too good for you!” Lance back peddles. “Just saying you’re probably too good for him.” The tips of Lance’s ears turn a little pink from stumbling over his words. Phrasing was still a struggle for him. But Keith knew what he meant. “A-anyway, just talk to him. Easy peasy.”

Keith watched Lance for a moment before really considering his words. Tapping the back of his fork on his mashed potatoes, he nods. “Thanks Lance. I uh, I appreciate it.”

“No problem.” Lance says, focusing on his meal. “And uh, when you’re ready to take some hair and fashion advice, y’know where to find me.”

Keith scoffs and rolls his eyes as he gets up with his tray of food, “Thanks asshole.”

“See ya laaater.” Lance calls out.

 

Keith gets ready the following morning for team physical training. As he’s getting dressed, Keith thinks about the ways he could approach Griffin. He could say hi, stand next to him in formation, maybe even tell him he’ll see him at breakfast? He could feel his nerves beginning to rattle him just from thinking about the smallest ways to make an effort. “Damn it Keith. Pull it together.” He mutters to himself. _You got this,_ he thinks.

Sure enough, when he walks out into the hall, a flood of cadets are walking in the direction of their perspective training rooms. He sees Griffin and feels his heart start to race and his face begin to heat up. He takes longer strides to catch up to him, and does his best to make it look natural instead of like he were in pursuit of someone. He takes a deep breath right as he ends up by Griffin’s side, “Mornin’ Griff.” He says with a small grin.

James turns into Keith’s direction, smile broad and vibrant. “Morning! Ready to do some training?”

“Always.” Keith replies. They walk together side by side, talking about some of the drills they have planned for the morning. They adjust some of the exercises and go through some pair rotations within the teams. They wait a few more minutes for all the members to arrive.

“Alright let’s get started folks!” James says loudly, clapping his hands. A few of the pilots jog to form their squad. “Just another beautiful day in the Garrison.”

Keith laughs, “Ew. You’re awfully motivated in the morning.” He does a visual check to make sure all of his Paladins are present.

“Gotta be, champ. How else will your team respond?” Griffin says with that annoying smile on his face. He claps Keith on the arm and falls in line with the rest of his crew. Keith follows suit with his own, waiting for Shiro to show up and take accountability before they can get started.

Lance tries to get Keith’s attention and nudges him. “Hey,” he whispers, “saw you talking to lover b--”

“Quiet, McClain.” Griffin barks. “Maintain your bearing.” Lance makes a face behind the pilot’s back. Keith bites back a smile. He was sorta glad to not be the only hard ass.

Shiro finally walks in and goes over today’s schedule, letting everyone know of their tasks at hand to be completed for the day. Once he’s done, he passes the responsibility onto Keith to conduct their physical training. In his usual, slightly bored tone of voice, Keith goes over the routine for the morning. He and James lead together to stretch the pilots out first, rolling them over into the first partnered drill. Both leaders agreed it would be best for both teams to partner up with each other to strengthen the bond and trust between them.

Keith was doing just fine with his partners, giving a few pointers to them to better their fighting positions and alternative ways to disengage. Then the final rotation, he ended up with Griffin. Which-- wasn’t in the plans. “Your friends wanted to trade off their rotations to be together.” Griffin explained. Keith looks over to Pidge and Lance, both giving him a thumbs up and wink to motivate their team leader.

“Of course they did.” Keith mutters under his breath. “Whatever, let’s do this.” This final drill involved close encounter of hand to hand combat; to submit your opponent, and break away from them in that same submission. Keith cleared his mind and focused. It was just Griffin-- another person to toss around. It wasn’t a big deal. He could see the same determination in James’ face. Small beads of sweat formed on his forehead, the root of his hairline soaked with it.

It’s Keith who lunges first to get Griffin in a headlock, but James is quicker to react. They reach and grab at each other to get into a dominant position, grunting as they do. Griffin is successful to put Keith in the headlock first, but Keith can tell he’s not using all of his strength. Annoyed, Keith tosses Griffin over his shoulder, making the pilot land on his back with a loud thud. “If you wanna take this seriously, I suggest you give it your all.” Keith says. “Practice forms the habit. You do that in battle, the enemy will overthrow you without a second thought. Do it again.”

James gets up, wincing in a little pain. He takes his stance again and attacks. Keith blocks him for a few strikes, tripping him up in the process and wrapping his arm around James neck, the bend of his elbow contracting tightly over James’ throat. “Now free yourself.” Keith says through his teeth. When James doesn’t react fast enough, he flexes his bicep for a tighter squeeze, bring Griffin to his knees. “Come on think! You can get yourself out of this.” Griffin grabs for Keith’s forearm, his fingertips trying to dig in and pry his arm away. Keith uses his other hand to grand onto his own wrist to keep the position, “Running out of oxygen Griff.” He warns the teen. Panicking, Griffin taps out, gasping for air once Keith drops him. He knees down to his position to check on him, “You okay?” James nods. “Good. Look, whenever you’re trapped like that, just do this--” Keith shows James what to do and goes through the motions with him slowly.

“Now,” Keith is behind Griffin, arm wrapped around his neck, “do what I just showed you. Full speed. Don’t hold back.” Without warning, Keith tightens his arm like that of a boa, trying to hold James there. Griffin breaths sharply through his nose and uses all of his might to break away the way Keith showed him. Once he does, he elbows Keith in the stomach hard, knocking the wind out of him. Griffin is quick to mount Keith, pinning him down. Keith anticipated a punch, but it never came.

“Like that?” James huffed, chest rising as his lungs filled with air. His cheeks were flushed. Probably from the strenuous force he had to use. _Yeah-- yeah that’s why,_ Keith reasoned with himself.  

“Y-yeah. Good,” Keith clears his throat, “good job.” James gets off of Keith and offers a helping hand to pick him up off the floor. “Thanks.” he says, dusting himself off. Seeing Griffin smile, Keith clams up for a moment and turns to the others sparring. He claps his hands, “Alright that’s a wrap for today. I hope you all learned something, sharpened your skills...whatever. Um, good work. You’re dismissed; shower up, head to chow, then get started on your tasks.” Everyone breaks, getting up, stretching out a bit before walking out.

Keith takes up a spot to stretch out his muscles, groaning at the tension and slow relief of tightness going away. He’s gotten to the point of being incredibly limber and doesn’t need to take long to work the kinks out. Loosened up and relaxed, Keith sees that James is with him still, doing the same thing. He walks over to him, putting his hands in his pockets, “Good work earlier Griff.” Keith says.

“Oh, thanks.” James says tying his shoes. There he goes again with that infuriating smile. “But maybe I should be the one thanking you for teaching me.”

“Forget it, you’re a fast learner.” Keith brushes off. “You uh, wanna grab breakfast?” he asks, trying to keep his voice even.

Griffin practically beams at the offer, “Yeah. Yeah sure, let’s go.” He hops on his feet with a purpose and they stroll down to the commissary together. Keith feels like he should say something, anything. He glances over at James to see any sign of awkwardness between them. But when he does, he find Griffin holding a soft grin, as if he were just content with their current situation. Keith looks away, looking ahead down the hall they’re following. Without the pressure of needing to make small talk, Keith finds the silence between them quite comfortable.

It’s busy around them, loud and distracting. It seems as though everyone is in a bit of a rush, trying to get in and get out as soon as they can. Not them. They take their time plating their breakfast and finding available seats in a decently quiet area. As he eats, Keith feels a rush of dopamine coursing through his body. He feels good. _Really_ good in fact.

“Hey so uh, did you get into a lot of close encounter fights?” Griffin asks curiously. “You seem to have a lot of experience with the way you fight.”

“Oh uh, y-yeah. On the Castle of Lions, we had these robotic gladiators programmed to test our abilities. And I would spend hours fighting them. One or multiple at a time. It helped when it came to the real thing.”

James looks at Keith, almost hesitant to even ask what his mind was wondering. “I take it it happened often?” Keith nods. “Damn...we never get too close. We're always at a distance with our weapons.”

“Yeah my Bayard would form into a sword so-- up close and personal.”

“It's pretty cool how you can control your Bayard. I heard you can like, move it from one hand to the other?” James said excitedly, leaning in with his elbows on the table.

“Oh, yeah. It's just summoning it and stuff.” Keith says indifferently.

“That's pretty awesome.” Griffin says. He brings his hand up to rest his head against his fist, looking at Keith in admiration. “Must take some serious skill to do that sort of thing.” James was out right complimenting Keith now. And it was clear and obvious. Keith heard it for himself. So, naturally, Keith hides his smile behind his cup, taking a long slow sip of his juice.

James giggles a bit, making the other teen ask what was so funny. “You're not used to this are you?”

“What exactly?”

“Conversation.” _Compliments,_ thought James. And he's hit the nail right on the head when he sees Keith blush a bit. God it was so fun and cute to see him like this. “Sorry I just-- I'm so curious to know what it's like.” There wasn't any way for him to give it a go on Keith's lion. It was a formed bond, mutual respect, and earned place. Not like hopping into any aircraft and flying it.

Keith looks down at his tray and shakes his head, “I-It's fine. Like you said, I'm not used to it.” He tucks some hair behind his ear before feeling brave to look at Griffin again, “You can ask whatever you want. But don't be surprised if I spare the details.”

“Noted.” James says, still smiling. His cheeks nearly ached from doing so from being around the raven haired teen. He has so many questions-- but he refrains from asking too many at once. He wanted to stretch their time together. Talk about one thing at a time when presented with the opportunity. “Hey so, I was thinking and-- you wanna team up together and get some of these tasks done? We have a lot of the same things that we need to do anyways so...ya wanna?”

Keith doesn't even think twice before he says agrees. “Yeah sure. Sounds like a plan.”

“Cool. I'll uh, meet you in the bay.” Griffin stands up with his tray, “See you soon Keith.”

“Yeah…” Keith replies. He sits at the table a little longer until he decides to get up himself. They essentially we're going to spend the day together. It was the perfect way to put his own actions into play. A part of Keith felt as if he already knew how it would all turn out. But he needed to be sure it wasn't all in his head.

They knocked out task after task together, helping one another tackle duties and responsibilities. During this time, Griffin would ask a question or two about Keith's adventures and experiences. And Keith discovered that he had no problem opening up to James about it all. He would even go into detail about his time with the Blades.

“So, that Galran officer-- Krolia. She really your mom?” Griffin asks.

“Yupp. She crash landed on Earth when looking for the Blue Lion.” He says. He explains how she met his dad and why she left. “He never really talked about her when I was growing up.” James doesn't say anything. He waits patiently for Keith to take his time and finish speaking, who doesn't look at him when explaining so. “So when my dad died...I was really bitter and pissed off at my mom. Of a stranger I didn't know.”

Pangs of sympathy and guilt strike Griffin in the chest. “Oh shit Keith, I-- I had no idea.” He says.

Keith looks at James with a light half hearted laugh, “For what? Not your fault everything turned out that w--”

“No,” James turns to Keith, “no, no. Not for that. I mean yeah that sucks but I meant for what--” he stops himself. He clenches his fists, contemplating on finishing his sentence. “I'm sorry for what I said-- back then.” He simply says. “Back then when we fought? When I made that comment about your parents--” James looks away up at high ceiling of the room and puts his hands on his hips. “Feel like such an asshole,” he mutters to himself. He shakes his head on self disappointment and looks at his feet. “I didn't know at the time when I said those things.” He looks up with remorse in his eyes, “I'm sorry, Keith.

The corner of Keith’s mouth twitches into a lopsided grin, “It's fine. There was no way you could've known. I was a bit of an outcast...didn't really talk to anyone...actual I didn't talk to anyone except Shiro. Only he knew about my Dad.” Keith noticed James was unconvinced. “No really, it's fine. At that time, it was still raw. But now,” Keith breaks out into a real smile, “I have my mom back. And I couldn't be happier.”

Griffin eases a little, watching Keith get back to work. “Your Dad-- what did he do?”

“Fireman.” Keith answers. Thinking about his Father was always a bittersweet feeling. But in that moment, with James, it felt great to talk about him; it felt great to reminisce those years. “He’s the bravest man I've ever known. Always helping others, good with his hands, simple. He taught me everything I know.” He looks at James, “Everyone liked him.”

It was saddening to hear the death of Keith's dad for James. From the sounds of it, he really was brave and selfless. He listened as Keith told him about the conversations he had with his Mom regarding his passing, the stories she told him about their relationship. The way Keith lit up about this woman like he did about his Father, James the need to meet Krolia. To have the honor of official meet but to possibly hear her own stories of love about her and her beloved partner. They, as a family, we're so interesting. And that uniqueness about Keith was so different from the way he grew up, and the families he's known over the years. But the biggest takeaway from all of this was getting to know Keith in ways he had wanted to all those years ago. The new kid at school.

 

 

It had taken some courage and time for Keith to ask James about himself. He felt he was talking about himself way too much even though it was the other teen who wanted to know more. Like Keith, James was an only child. He's biracial of European and Latin descent. And his father was a civil servant; he served as a Soldier and later became a police officer. Keith learned James’ parents had divorced when he was very young. He didn't seem upset by it, saying it probably best for the both of them seeing as they argued a lot. But for the sake of their son, they tried their best to be civil and supportive. He had even showed Keith pictures of his family on his phone. Keith noticed how much James looked like his mother.

Getting to know Griffin on a personal level seemed impossible a few weeks ago. But now, it was like they could nearly talk about anything. However, some anxiety of leaping over unidentified boundaries remained to keep Keith on a narrow line of respect and comfort. For whose comfort, Keith wasn't sure. Probably for James to avoid offense, but he knew it was mostly for himself. Those, _walls_ he had up to keep him guarded and safe.

It doesn't go to say this progress hadn't been enlightening though. His friends still gave him side eye glances of how he and Griffin were acting. The teasing behind closed doors was all in fun and support. They all knew Keith needed to go at a pace that was comfortable for him.

And that level of comfort was building quite exponentially.

It started off small at first. When the boys were together and Keith would make some smart remark, James would laugh loudly, putting his hand on Keith's shoulder to hold onto as he leaned back from laughing so hard.

Then there was the way Griffin would walk up beside Keith and rest his elbow on him. He would lean on him a bit as they stood around shooting the shit or waiting for orders. Sometimes after drills, they would sit on the ground with their backs against the wall and James would rest his head on Keith's shoulder as they rested. James would often rest his eyes and fall asleep-- and Keith's team would make faces in awe of their premature coupling, which James’ team would giggle at in amusement.

At some point, Keith saw just how comfortable James was getting with him. They were taking a 10 minute break in the conference room from a brief, James sitting to his left. Keith cracked open a small bottle of water, taking a small sip from it. “Hey, can I have some?” James asked. Before Keith can even give it to him, James grabs it from him, fingers brushing over his, and takes a drink. Later that day, they were having dinner together and James stabs his fork into the macaroni and cheese on Keith's plate. And neither of those times did Keith mind. But when Lance tried to pull the same stunt, he smacked his hand away, sending his utensil flying and clattering on the floor.

During after hours, Hunk occupied the common room kitchen to bake some goods for the teams as a token of good work in the last month or so. Keith was his guinea pig when tasting his new creations. Given a plate full of miniature pastry pies, Keith tries one and hums pleasantly, “Dis ith gud.” He mumbled around the treat. He shoved another in his mouth along with the first, making his cheeks big and round.

About to have a third one, Keith hears footsteps and looks up to see James walking in. “Hey Keith.” He says. He’s in his civilian clothes with his hands in his front pockets. “Whatchya got there?” He asks.

Swallowing hard, Keith finds his voice, “They're uh-- Hunk made em.” He gingerly picks one up to give to James, “Try one.” James leans down, opening his mouth to accept the dessert, teeth sinking in, making the crust crumble. Keith hadn't meant to feed James, to be clear.

A few careful chews and James hums, “That’s amazing.” He says, covering his mouth to talk properly. Dropping his hand, Keith notices the little bit of crumbs on the corners of his mouth.

“Um, you got--” Keith motions to his own face to convey James had something on his. James wipes his face with the back of his hand, wiping it all away. “You're good. It's all gone.”

Hunk stands at the counter, kneading the dough as he watches the interaction between them. When Griffin sits on the couch with Keith, he looks over to Hunk, who's watching them. Hunk offers a small smile, genuinely happy to have witnessed such a thing. And Keith doesn't even feel embarrassed.

 

 

The weekends we're the only days everyone had time off if not assigned 24 hour staff duty answering phones and making sure no shenanigans occured. Keith had slept in for once, hit the gym with Shiro, and decided to work on his hoverbike he had stored on the other side of the base. It had been awhile since he had driven it. Signing out the vehicle, he took it for a spin around base to see how it ran, and was surprised to learn it kept shape. Maybe a few tinkers here and there and it would be at its optimum performance.

Tools out and scattered, Keith sits on a roller chair taking apart the component to clean and gauge them. His focus breaks when his phone goes off. Setting everything down, Keith wipes one hand clean from grease and oil to pick up the device. It was an IM from Griffin.

 

>> Hey

>> Wyd?

 

Keith doesn't even realize he's grinning when he types in a reply.

 

<< Down at storage bay working on the bike

 He opens up the camera and takes a photo of his workspace and sends it to him.

 

>> Oh nice

<< You coming?

>> Yupp

>> Omwn

 

Keith locks the screen and puts the phone on a work bench and continues with what he was doing. He's careful to reassemble the parts together, placing them back and working the wrench to tighten it all down. Keith looks over his shoulder when he hears the sound of the pedestrian bay door creak open, with Griffin walking in; again with his hands tucked away, in his jacket this time. He's wearing a grey t-shirt with an O.D. green bomber jacket and blue jeans with sneakers. Was that a pair of aviators resting on top of his head? Keith smiles, laughing as he shakes his head. He was one dog tag away from looking like a cop out Top Gun character. He turns and looks back to what he's doing, the sound of the tool cinching down the bolt to the metal frame.

“Sup grease monkey,” James says, slapping his hand on Keith's back. “Doin’ a tune up?”

“Yeah,” Keith says, reaching in deeper to have the socket lap over the hexagon bolt. “Just a small one.” He sighs. With the last one finally in, Keith relaxes his arm, relieved it was finally over. He slips out from the tight crevice. “Gonna go out for a ride,” Keith says, wiping the sweat of his forehead with his shirt. “Stretch her legs out.” He goes over to the sink, pumping Gojo into his palms. “You wanna come?”

“Sounds great.” James looks around to see if there's another hoverbike around, but there isn't. “Um, how exactly do you want me to do that?”

Keith looks over his shoulder, washing his hands and getting under his fingernails, “Whaddyou mean?”

“There's not another hovercraft around.”

“So? Just ride with me.” Keith says, as if the solution were obvious.

“O-oh.” Riding together on _Keith's_ bike.

“Yeah genius.” Keith teases. He cuts the water off, shaking his hands in the sink. He snatches up a microfiber hand cloth to dry his hands. He turns around, “Still wanna go?”

“Yeah. Why wouldn't I?” James asks.

Keith shrugs. “I dunno. Thought you may be scared.”

James scoffs, “ _Really,_ Kogane? I'm a MFE pilot, a little hoverbike is _nothing_ compared to that jet.”

Chuckling, Keith nods. “Alright then. Help me clean up and we'll hit the road.” They put the tools away, clean up droplets of oil, and push the bike out of the bay. Checking in with Shiro, Keith zips up his jacket, puts on his goggles and mounts the bike. He fires it up, and the bike begins to hover just above the ground. “Come on!” Keith shouts over the loud engine. James puts his sunglasses on as the wind and dirt whip his face and get into his eyes. Keith helps him get on the back and waits a few moments for James to adjust and get comfortable. Both arms wrapped around his waist and receives a tap on his belly for a 'good to go’. Keith revs up the bike, kicking off the ground and flying forward to head out into the canyons.

It's not too hot to be riding at this this time of day. The sun should be setting in the next hour or so. Keith follows a few dirt trails used for drivers training. Once Keith deems the bike ready for some real fun, he takes off suddenly with no warning. James is yelling at Keith to take it easy, tightening his grip whenever Keith made a sharp turn or sudden whip. It only prompts Keith to drive faster. “You're gonna get us killed!” James yelled.

“Shut up and trust me.”

Keith takes the path he and Shiro used to ride on. The same one where he rescued Shiro and had Pidge, Lance, and Hunk with him, being chased by Garrison instructors. The bike runs along the upscaled rock wall, spitting out to a straightaway off the cliff.

“Oh God. Keith-- don't you even _think_ about it.” James says, holding on for dear life.

“About what? _This?_ ” Keith cranks the throttle, rushing to the cliff and James is screaming for Keith not to do it. He pulls up just in time to catch the momentum to drop down, swooping down like that of a hawk diving down with the wind. James is cursing and laughing at the same time, holding Keith tightly so he doesn't go flying himself. Muscle memory times the moment Keith needs to kick back up to not crash, cruising towards the vast desert. They're both laughing, adrenaline coursing through their veins, and the wind blowing through their hair.

Keith pulls them up to a hill, setting the bike down and killing the engine. When James releases him, the air cools his waist from where he was held onto. Griffin hops down with that famous smile, ripping off his glasses and running a hand through his hair. “Holy shit! That was amazing! Where'd you learn to do that? Wait--- lemme guess. Shiro.”

“The one and only.” Keith dismounts and joins James, who's leaning against the bike. The hilltop looks over scattered farms. “I grew up there.” He points out.

“Really?” James asks. Keith hums. “Huh. Didn't take you for a country boy.”

“I'm anything but.” Keith laughs. They look out and watch the colors of the sky change as the sun sets. It's so peaceful out here. From the corner of his eye, Keith looks at James. The way the red orange sky shined on James’ face highlighted his facial features. There was a slight breeze in the air, waving his hair like that in the movies. Did he ever not look so handsome? James suddenly turns his face in Keith's direction with a slight look of surprise but falters to a kind expression.

“What?” He laughs.

Keith shakes his head slightly, “Nothing.” He says just above a whisper. James uses his shoulder to nudge Keith, calling him a weirdo, and looks back out to the view. _It's now or never,_ Keith thought. “A-actually,” he says, voice cracking out of nervousness. James turns to him again, “I uh, wanted to ask you something.” Keith turns himself to face James, leaning on the hoverbike on his hip.

“What’s up?” Griffin asks, keeping his arms crossed over his chest.

“I was just wondering um…” The words are on the tip of his tongue. He can hear his heartbeat in his ears. _Damn it Kogane, just say it!_ “D-do you like me?” He blurts out. James eyes go wide. “I-I mean, correct me if I'm wrong but it's just that-- you've been acting a certain way around me and our crews have noticed. When one of them brought it up to me, to be honest I wasn't sure at first. But the more we hung out, the more I realized that maybe you were giving me signs? Then I realized how much I didn't dislike it so...do you?” _Please tell me you do. Or don't. Just say it._

James takes a deep breath and slowly start to...nod? This takes Keith by genuine surprise. He was wholeheartedly expected to be laughed at and let down harshly-- that it was all in his head, taking friendliness as flirting. But that nod. It was almost like James was afraid to admit it. Afraid that it may scare Keith off.

“I do, yeah,” James says. He swallows, suddenly nervous and wary. “I uh...I have for a while, actually.” He admits.

“Really? H-how long?”

James bites his lip and looks down at his feet, toeing at the dirt. “A really, _really_ long time.” He says, peering up through his lashes. Keith is still confused. James throws his head back, letting out a dramatic sigh, “Since the flight simulator in school.” He pushes off the hoverbike, crossed arms shielding himself. “When I saw what you could do, I couldn't help but feel a bit jealous.” He says looking at Keith. “I hoped and _prayed_ I got into the Garrison because I knew, I just _knew,_ you were going to get in with Shiro’s help. And when I did, and we both arrived, you just--” he waves a hand out, looking for the right words. “flourished. Everything came so easily to you. You didn't even have to _try_. It annoyed me to no end but...you had real talent. _Have_ real talent.” Tucking his hand back into the arm crossed over his stomach, he continues,

“When you got kicked out and left, it was too easy for me to climb the echelon. Sure, it was great for me and my career but, it wasn't the same without you.” James feels a little bit saying all of this considering how he treated Keith back in those days. “I know I was an asshole then. A total jerk. But I guess I was afraid of what I was feeling? And that's not an excuse to treat you like shit but…” he shrugs. “I've _always_ liked you, Keith. Even more so now.”

Keith is at a loss for words. They were young, temperamental, and fighting to stay. He wasn't exactly a stellar classmate either. He had forgiven those in the past and let it go. There wasn't any reason for him to hold onto it. _Bitterness prevents growth,_ Kolivan told him.

The silence worried James, “Are you gonna say anything?” He asks anxiously, feeling awkward standing there as he poured his heart out.

Keith straightens up, getting comfortable where he was. “Up until recently, you had a pretty funny way of showing it.” He says, laughing nervously poking some fun at the pilot. “But...I'm glad you told me, James.” he could tell by the words, it wasn't exactly what James wanted to hear. “Because--” he quickly cuts in, “I...like you too.” He says slowly. Now _these_ words are exactly what James wants to hear.

“Really?” He asks just above a whisper, almost in disbelief, as if his ears had deceived him.

“Yeah,” Keith confirms, “yeah I do. Quite a bit actually.” He admits shyly, tucking some hair behind his ear. He was sure he was blushing brighter than the sunset hitting his face.

James drops his arms and walks over to Keith. Keith turns, putting his back against the hovercraft. Griffin steps in closer, slotting himself  between Keith's legs and boxing him in with his palms flat on the hood of the bike. Keith leans back a little, unsure of what James was aiming at. But of course, that smug, cocky, mischievous smile is on the bastard’s face, “ 'Quite a bit’, huh?” He repeats, voice deep and curious.

Keith's throat goes dry, “Y-yeah...what of it?” He asks, failing to sound defensive.

“Hn,” James looks over Keith's face, bringing his hand up to twirl a lock of black hair around his finger. He looks in Keith's eyes, and can't seem to tear away from them. “Nothing. Just-- glad, is all.”

The black paladin can feel the pilots breath on his lips, brushing lightly over them. “Yeah? Why's that?” He dares to ask. He sees James’ brown eyes flick down to his lips momentarily before looking up again. There's that tension between them again. The magnetic electricity makes them gravitate to each other.

“So I can do _this._ ” The hand playing with Keith's hair cups the teen’s cheek. James closes his eyes and leans in, pressing his lips against Keith’s. They're soft, only slightly dry.

Keith had seen it coming, and yet he was frozen in surprise. James pulls away slightly, stretching his thumb to rub over Keith's bottom lip, who parts his mouth from the touch.

James brings his other hand up to hold Keith's face, turning his own for another, deeper kiss. He’s pleased to find Keith reciprocating, opening his mouth more, placing a tentative hand on his chest. He feels Keith grab the collar of his jacket, pulling him in for more. James drops his hands to wrap them around Keith's waist, pulling him in. The tips of Keiths fingers find their way up James’ neck and under his jaw, touching his skin very lightly.

They're like this for a few short minutes which felt like an eternity to them. Keith's hands are in James’ hair; one cradling the back of his head, and the other pushing back his brown hair. Once they do pull away, they're breathless, faces flushed, eyes glassy. Keith smiles and bites his lower lip, feeling hazy with happiness. He loops his arms around the other's neck, “You're good at that.”

James smiles and gives Keith a slow peck on the lips, “Think so?”

“Mhm,” Keith nods, stretching his neck for another. “Finally better than me at something.” He playfully jabs.

“Ouch.” James laughs, holding Keith close. He presses his forehead against Keith's, sighing, feeling at ease and peace.

The sky is a deep purple, blending and turning dark blue.Being so far away from the base, the stars are clear and bright. The boys walk hand in hand over a small patch of grass where the hilltop steeps off. They lay down side by side looking up at the stars. With the moved in neighboring planets, the night sky had the same character as the other plants Keith had visited. James rolls onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow, looking at Keith as he tells stories about the universe. He can't help but lean in and kiss the paladin. It's unexpected but Keith welcomes it with a humming laugh. When James let's up, he stares at Keith again, bringing his hand up to Keith's face, touching the scar on his cheek. It looked like it must've painful when he got it. How, he didn't know. He wouldn't ask. James kisses the scarred cheek, nosing Keith for another. They exchange kisses back and forth until James curls himself into Keith's side, resting his head on Keith's chest. With Keith's arm wrapped around James, they stay like this for a while. It's when Shiro calls Keith to tell him to come back to base that they finally leave.

Storing the bike away, they walk through the maze of interconnecting hallways and overpasses to their barracks. Keith was apprehensive at first to hold hands with James-- unsure if the pilot wanted to display that sort of PDA to others. But his worries cease when James slips his hand into Keith's, fingers interlocking. Griffin said hi to people he knew as they walked past them. And of course, those individuals were wide eyed, making a double, sometimes triple take of what they think they were seeing. Keith could already tell this type of attention was going to get on his nerves. “Just ignore em.” James said into his ear as if he were capable of reading his thoughts. “It's not a big deal. 'Kay?” Keith nods, tightening their hold.

They're nearing their rooms, and Keith has a few things he needs to get off their chest. He stops in his tracks, making James turn back, “What is it?”

“I-- we need to talk about some things before we say good night.”

“Uh..a-alright. Sure. Shoot.”

“We're... _together,_ right? Like, a couple?”

“Are you really asking me that? Yes, Keith, we're a couple.”

“Well you didn't say that earlier when-- when--”

“We were sucking face?”

“Shut up,” Keith hisses, looking around to see if anyone was there to overhear. “But yes…” Keith says, making James chuckle. “Okay so, since we're a thing now--”

“Boyfriends.” James interjects.

“--we need to set a few boundaries.”

“Like?”

“When we're in uniform, no displays of affection.”

“Uh, _duh._ It's in our conduct code.”

“Well you're you and do whatever you want.”

“That would be _you,_ babe.” The nickname makes Keith's cheeks burn. And from the way James smiles, he guesses he blushing quite badly.

“A-anyway, we can be at each other's side, but professional when we're on duty. Alright?”

“Alright. Anything else?” James asks gently, rubbing his thumb back and forth on the back Keith's hand.

“Um...I think, we should try not to be partnered up during training. If something were to happen and we're needed, it'll just be easier if we're not...y’know…” James nodded, he knew where Keith was getting at. It would make everything emotional in the heat of battle, should they get into one. “Think that's it,” Keith finished. “Anything you wanna add?”

James takes a moment to think everything over, “Not really. You pretty much covered everything. I do ask that you be open and honest with me.”

Keith cocks his head, “Whaddyou mean? Like, talk to you?”

“Well, yeah. I-- wouldn't want for either of us to not be on the same page. If I'm moving too fast for you, or I take something you said the wrong way then, I want us to be honest about it. I don't wanna argue.”

Keith wanted to crack a joke about arguing was the bedrock which their hate towards each other was founded upon, but knowing his past with his parents, he refrained. “ 'M not good with words.” he warns.

“Seem pretty good with them when we're together...now come on. Let's get to our rooms.” They lean on one another as they take their time walking to their corridor. James walks Keith to his room first, since it's the farthest one away in their section. “Here you are. Home sweet home.” James says, pulling Keith in for an embrace. “I had a great time today.”

“Yeah, me too.” Keith presses his forehead against James, tilting his chin up so their lips brushed together. James gives him what he wants, careful to keep his hands where they were on the small of Keith's back. “See you in the morning?”

“Yupp. I'll be there. In a more awfully good mood.” Keith groans hearing that but laughs at him.

“Dork.”

“You like it.” The words ghost over Keith just as he's being kissed again. Griffin sure did like to kiss. Or maybe it was because it was him. “Alright, I better let you get inside before-- ah,” James let's go and takes a step back, putting his hands in his jacket pockets. “Goodnight babe.”

“Night James.” Keith doesn't want to turn away, so James does it for him; walking in the opposite direction. He looks over his shoulder once, just to see if Keith had gone it yet. But he hadn't. Keith waves bye, and when James makes that turn to his room, his finally gone.

Keith leans against the door and sighs, his head thudding against it. Is this what it's like? If so, then... Keith had been missing out.

Or maybe he hadn't.

Because this tension was now resolved, and could only be by none other than James Griffin.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you taking the time to read this! Leave a comment below to let me know what you thought of it. Everything from "*thumbs up*" to essays.
> 
> I /might/ write another chapter, but I'm not too entirely sure.
> 
> Update: I've decided I will I'm fact be writing a second part. I'll make this part of a series, so hit that subscribe button if you would like an update! I'm making it a series to separate the non-explicit stuff from the explicit content. Thanks for the support!
> 
> Update: I created Just You & I as a series for these two! I have part II up and running! Go check it out and if you haven't already, subscribe to this series to get updates. I will be writing a few more pieces for this which i hope you all will enjoy!


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